Play.
Emily Engstler makes a layup.
The Louisville crowd was fired up after Emily hit the basket. (0:35)
9:24 AM
When Louisville was eliminated from the NCAA women's college basketball tournament last March, the league's focus immediately jumped forward. The Elite Eight was where the Cards were stopped. How strong would the conference be by March?
How powerful is the conference so far this season?
A lot like last season. Three of the eight teams in the NCAA tournament field from the ACC made it to the Sweet 16. There are reasons to think that the league can improve on that number.
Both Louisville and NC State have bounced back from losses. NC State was defeated at home by South Carolina on Nov. 9. The Wolfpack have won eight in a row, with victories over ranked teams Maryland and Indiana.
NC State avenged its loss to Indiana in the Sweet 16 by beating the Hoosiers last Thursday. Jones missed the NCAA tournament game because of an injury, but still scored 17 points and grabbed 11 boards in Thursday's 66-58 win over the Hoosiers.
Diamond Johnson, who played her freshman season at Rutgers, leads the Wolfpack at 13.4 points per game and has been one of the nation's most impactful transfers thus far.
A transfer is giving Louisville a lift. The senior forward is second on the team in scoring and first in rebound and she played at Syracuse. The opening loss was in overtime to Arizona on a neutral court, and since then they have won seven in a row. In Thursday's thumping of Michigan, Engstler had 18 points, 14 rebound and 5 steals, while helping hold the star of the game to 12 points.
Kentucky is coming to Louisville on Sunday. The two games are in Uncasville, Connecticut. The program is on the cable network, ESPN. The Cards are averaging 68.6 PPG, which is a concern. They are holding their opponents to 46.4 PPG.
Duke and North Carolina are still perfect. The Blue Devil's best win so far was against Iowa. The win was still an early milestone for coach Kara Lawson, who had not played since Nov. 17 The Blue Devil played just four games last season due to concerns about COVID-19.
The Blue Devil's Celeste Taylor scored 17 points and added 13 rebounds in Duke's upset of Iowa last Thursday.
The biggest test for Duke will be against South Carolina. Texas transfer Celeste Taylor is leading the Blue Devil's in scoring with a rate of 14.4 PPG.
The Tar Heels will not have a chance to get a signature win until after they play NC State.
The game of the year is expected to be January 20, when NC State hosts Louisville. We'll see if anyone else in the league can trip up either one before then. The other teams in the league are worth watching.
The Demon Deacons made their first NCAA tournament appearance in over two decades last season.
Georgia Tech is coming off a 55-54 victory over Georgia, which was their first win of the season. They will host the University of Connecticut on Thursday. The program is on the cable network, ESPN2).
The Irish have lost to Georgia and Connecticut but are seeing a lot from their young talent, including a combined 48 points from freshman guard Sonia Citron.
The Orange have a win over a ranked team.
Despite the record, you can expect the Florida State to put things together during the conference season. They've been to the NCAA tournament once.
The Player of the Week is Aliyah Boston.
In the two victories over North Carolina A&T and Kansas State, the junior had a combined 50 points, 31 rebound and 7 blocked shots. Boston is shooting 61.3% from the field and 67% from 2-point range. Boston played just 21 minutes in the game against North Carolina A&T. Boston dominated that game, playing 25 minutes, and Kansas State is 7-2 with one of the top centers in the country in Ayoka Lee.
The team of the week is the Kentucky Wildcats.
Rhyne Howard had a combined 48 points, 13 rebound, 11 assists and 9 steals in the wins over West Virginia and Merrimack, helping the Cats move to 6-1. Kentucky lost to Indiana on Nov. 14. Howard and Dre'una Edwards are leading the way for the Cats, who have a big week coming up with games against DePaul and then against in-state rival Louisville in Sunday's Jimmy V Classic. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
LSU defeated Iowa State 69 to 60.
Kim Mulkey won her first game as LSU's coach when she faced a ranked team. Are we surprised? Nah. While at Baylor, Mulkey faced Iowa State for 21 years, so she knew exactly what the Tigers needed to do to win. Mulkey improved to 31-6 against Iowa State.
The coach of the week is Lisa Bluder.
In her 22nd season as a head coach, she reached 800 victories. The Iowa team was led by a triple-double from sophomore star Caitlyn Clark. She was born in Iowa, went to high school there, and spent her entire coaching career there.
It's special being on your home court, obviously, but being able to share that with your family and the women on this team is just so much fun, that's what it's all about. I'm very thankful that I get to be around them every day.
The power rankings.
1. The South Carolina Gamecocks are.
The previous ranking
1
This weekend: against Maryland.
The big question is Destanni Henderson's status. She missed Friday's game against Kansas State with a leg injury, but it doesn't appear to be serious. The women's Jimmy V Classic will take place on Sunday, when the South Carolina women play the Maryland women. The program is on the cable network, ESPN.
Play.
NC State's lead was increased when Diamond Johnson hit a jumper.
2. The NC State Wolfpack is 1-8.
The previous ranking
3
At Pittsburgh on Friday, and at Saint Mary's on Sunday.
Five different players have been the leading scorer for the Wolfpack this season. NC State is known for its defense, but it was able to outscore Indiana in the fourth quarter of its victory last Thursday.
3. The UConn team is 5-1.
The previous ranking
2
Georgia Tech and UCLA are this week's opponents.
Things looked good for the University of Connecticut when it defeated Notre Dame 73-54 on Sunday. The fans of the Huskies are waiting to see how serious it is. The two games this week are both on the road and will be televised by ABC.
4. The Louisville Cards are 7-1.
The previous ranking
6
This weekend: against Kentucky.
On paper, the Michigan game last Thursday was intriguing, but it was instead a 70-48 loss by the Cards. Louisville has this week to prepare for Kentucky, after following up with an 80-66 win over Belmont.
Play.
Tennessee won at Virginia Tech in the final minutes.
5. The Tennessee Lady Vols are.
The previous ranking
7
Georgia State is this week's opponent.
The most impressive road win for the Lady Vols so far has been Sunday's 64-58 victory at Virginia Tech. Key had 11 points, 12 rebound, and 5 blocked shots. Elizabeth Kitley was held to four points on 1-for-12 shooting.
6. The Bears are 8-1
The previous ranking
4
This week: against Alcorn State.
The Bears got a scare from the unranked Missouri on Saturday, as the Tigers missed a shot at the buzzer, and they won 7068. NaLyssa Smith made 9 of 13 shots from the field and had 25 points and 17 rebound against Missouri.
7. The Arizona Wildcats are.
The previous ranking
5
This week: against North Dakota State and New Mexico.
The game against UC Riverside was canceled because of the COVID-19 protocol, so they will be eager to play again this week.
8. The Cardinal is 5-2
The previous ranking
9
This weekend: vs. Pacific.
After a break, the Cardinal will return to action against the Tigers.
9. The Texas Longhorns are 6-1.
The previous ranking
11
This weekend: vs. Idaho.
Texas A&M lost 76-60 to the Longhorns in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Sunday, avenging a 78-64 victory over Jackson State last Wednesday. Freshman guard Rori Harmon has a team-high 46 assists this season and had nine against the Aggies.
10. The Maryland Terrapins are 8-2.
The previous ranking
There were 12.
This week: against South Carolina and Purdue.
The Terps got victories over Miami and Rutgers this past week after back-to-back losses to NC State and the Bahamas. The game on Sunday is a marquee one, but the Terps can't afford to overlook the Boilermakers, who have already beaten Florida State and Georgia Tech.
11. The Indiana Hoosiers are 5-5.
The previous ranking
10
This week: Penn State, Ohio State, and Fairfield.
The Hoosiers lost to both NC State and NC State, and they were held below 30% shooting from the field. There are two Big Ten opponents for Indiana this week.
12. The BYU Cougars are.
The previous ranking
The rating is NR.
This week: at Oklahoma.
The Sooners will be the fourth Power 5 conference team the Cougars have beaten. The two guards, Shaylee Gonzales and Paisley Harding, combined for 55 points and 10 assists in the win over Utah.
13. The Michigan Wolverines are 1-8.
The previous ranking
14.
This week: at Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The UM team was outrebounded by 13 and made just 2 of 15 3-pointers in a 70-48 loss to Louisville, their first defeat of the season. The Michigan team defeated the Akron team 93-54. The Big Ten slate is this week.
14. The Duke Blue Devil's are 8-0.
The previous ranking
The rating is NR.
There are no games this week.
The Blue Devil's perfect record and a win over Iowa have vaulted them into the Power Rankings. Shayeann Day-Wilson has averaged 19.7 points in her past three games.
15. The Iowa Hawkeyes are 6-1.
The previous ranking
13
This week: at Iowa State.
The Hawkeyes struggled in their return at Duke, making just 3 of 19 3-pointers in a loss. They won their Big Ten opener against Michigan State on Sunday and had a triple-double by the woman. She was 3 of 23 from the 3-point range. Clark will try to get in a rhythm from the long range in the rivalry game at Iowa State. The program is on the cable network, ESPNU.
16. Texas A&M is 1-8.
The previous ranking
16.
This weekend: at Texas Southern and at TCU.
The Aggies lost their first game of the season against the Longhorns, but they are still in the Power Rankings. Texas A&M needs to make noise in SEC play because they don't have a signature win.
In the waiting room.
The Oklahoma Sooners lost to Oregon in the Bahamas in November, but that was when the Ducks had a player who had 30 points and 11 boards. The Sooners are averaging 88.0 PPG and could get a key win this week when they face off against BYU.
The guards took over the game in LSU's victory over Iowa State, with the two of them combining for 45 points, 10 rebound and nine assists. The SEC season begins at Georgia on December 30.
The Bulls lost to UT Arlington, which was their first win over a ranked team. South Florida dropped out of the Power Rankings this week. The Bulls have a chance to get two wins over Power 5 schools this month, as they face West Virginia and Ole Miss.
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